The week in lobbying

Policy Exchange director Neil O'Brien has criticised the way some lobbyists are courting the Conservative Party. The Financial Times reported this week that lobbyists are engaged in a 'desperate' scramble to secure people close to David Cameron, as businesses prepare for a Conservative government. It said Tory officials were being offered double or triple their salaries to move to the private sector. O'Brien told the paper: 'There are a lot of desperate lobbyists deciding they're going to suck up to the Tories as hard as possible, in a very overt and slightly vacuous kind of way.'

The Conservative Party, the Labour Party and the Electoral Commission are among 14 political organisations whose marketing plans are examined in a new report by Pearlfinders. The report's introduction states: 'We've found many of the organisations have fully integrated marketing communications strategies, from traditional door-drop direct marketing activity, to a presence on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.'

Standard Life has appointed former Royal Bank of Scotland lobbyist Howard Davies as group head of public affairs. PRWeek recently revealed that the Edinburgh-based insurer is planning to hold a pitch for public affairs (PRWeek, 3 July).